The Story of Rā Hihi…

PURE has been producing regular monthly videos for the Eastern Busway project. During this time, we’ve also been documenting the construction of Rā Hihi, the new 600m flyover above Reeves Road in Pakuranga. Rā Hihi—a name gifted by mana whenua partners meaning “sun’s rays”—is a critical part of the Eastern Busway, which is connecting East Auckland with rapid public transport to the rest of the city.

Auckland Transport Chief Executive Dean Kimpton says the flyover, also known locally as the Reeves Road flyover, will benefit drivers while enabling better public transport options on the busway beneath it. Rā Hihi carries four lanes of traffic—two in each direction. The structure is 600 metres long, 187 metres wide, and 10 metres high, with a total cost of $152 million—more than $4 million under budget.

The Eastern Busway project is funded by the Government and Auckland Council and is being delivered by an alliance of Auckland Transport, Fletcher Construction, ACCIONA, AECOM, and Jacobs, in partnership with mana whenua.